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Big W (stylised as BIG W) is an Australian chain of discount department stores, which was founded in regional New South Wales in 1964. The company is a division of the Woolworths Group and as of 2024 operated 179 stores, with around 18,000 employees. Big W stocks clothing, health and beauty, manchester, kitchenware, toys, pet items, office items, books, televisions, gaming consoles, video games, some furniture items, snack food and small electrical household appliances both on its website and in retail stores.
In 1970 the Big W name ceased to be used and the stores were converted to what were then known as Woolworths Family Centres that had "a very large range of general merchandise as well as a supermarket food range". These stores were ultimately converted to supermarkets in the 1980s. The Big W name was resurrected with a new store in Tamworth in 1976, which was the first Big W discount department store to open, with the successful discount department store format that continues today.
Woolworths Limited developed the Big W brand to provide Australian shoppers with a broad range of general merchandise products in a dedicated one-stop-shop. Big W's name reflects the complementary relationship it has with Woolworths Supermarkets and the W stands for Woolworths.
The separation of Big W and Woolworths supermarkets was largely completed by 1989, although a few Woolworths Variety stores continued to operate into the 90s (such as the one in Rundle Mall, Adelaide).
In August 2022, Big W opened its first small format store in Town Hall, Sydney. Big W to open first store in Sydney CBD location Appliance Retailer 10 March 2022
In November 2023, the company launched Big W Market, an online marketplace for third-party businesses to sell their products.
Big W were the second company in Australia to use , which were introduced in 2003 on a trial basis in two of Sydney's major stores and began expanding throughout Australia in late 2005.
In August 2014, Big W launched its first party store at Rouse Hill Town Centre in New South Wales and its second at the newly refurbished Macquarie Centre, also in New South Wales. There are currently 176 stores across Australia.
In 2022, Big W phased out its in-store photo printing service citing declining demand and a growth in online photo ordering. Prints can still be ordered online and collected in-store.
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